Chimaira was formed in 1998 by rhythm guitarist Jason Hager, and vocalist Mark Hunter. The pair recruited Jason Genaro on drums and Andrew Ermlick on bass to complete the line-up. Their first EP, This Present Darkness, was released on January 11, 2000, on East Coast Empire records. This EP featured a few songs that were later re-recorded for their major label release on Roadrunner Records, entitled Pass Out of Existence. Jason Hager later left the band after Pass Out Of Existence due to family issues and the band gained Matt DeVries, a long time friend of the band and guitarist for the Cleveland based band Ascension. Pass Out of Existence didn't sell that many records when it was released in 2001, but The Impossibility of Reason, released in 2003, was enough to fund Chimaira's extensive touring with In Flames, and their second-stage performance at Ozzfest, also in 2003.
Musically, Pass Out of Existence had a much more "electronic" sound than The Impossibility of Reason, with Chris Spicuzza's pronounced electronic loops featured in many songs. This sound was often compared to artists like Fear Factory, Spineshank and Slipknot. The Impossibility of Reason kept with a more pure, metal-esque instrumentation, akin to metalcore bands such as Killswitch Engage, and this was found to be very popular--the album reached #2 on Billboard's "Heatseekers" chart.
Their self-titled album, released in August 2005, built upon the progress of The Impossibility of Reason. The electronic feel of Pass Out of Existence and This Present Darkness is much reduced, and the guitar riffs and solos are taking a more central position to the band's music. The band hired Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus, Misery Index) to fill position behind the drumkit.
The themes of "rejection, revenge and repercussion" [1] from The Impossibility of Reason remain, although there are exceptions here - the track "Lazarus" is named for, and written about a friend of Mark Hunter's (singer) commiting suicide. In mid-2006 Chimaira and Roadrunner announced they would amicably part ways.
On March 6th, 2007, Chimaira released "Resurrection" on Nuclear Blast/Ferret Records, with some special packs containing a DVD of the making of the album. Andols Herrick returned to the band, and musically the album is an evolution of previous efforts. The songs feature heavy and pounding riffs, as in the likes of "Chimaira", but also features more thoughtful melodic parts and, what can be considered, more progressive solo parts and arrangements. Also from Chris Spicuzza on keyboard there is a heavier contribution than on the last album. The band even manage to create a black-metal-esque song with the help of Morgoth The Impaler on keyboards. Unsurprisingly, the song "Resurrection" was written about the new lease of life the band (especially Mark Hunter) felt upon release from Roadrunner, who they felt, were not promoting the band as much as the band felt they deserved.
Before the release of the album, The Infection (2009), the band had been posting short clips on their web page from the upcoming album, which was written in Cleveland, Ohio with producer Ben Schigel, who previously produced the band's album The Impossibility of Reason and their self titled album. The Infection was mixed by Zeuss, who mixed and produced albums for Hatebreed and Shadows Fall, and was released on April 21, 2009. At its annual Chimaira Christmas show on December 30, 2008, they debuted a new song entitled "Secrets of the Dead."
The first single off The Infection was "Secrets of the Dead", which was released March 3, 2009. The Infection debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200. During a number of European tour dates supporting The Infection, Chimaira had Emil Werstler of Dååth filling in for Matt DeVries, as DeVries' girlfriend had their first child.
The 10th annual Chimaira Christmas show was held at the House of Blues in Cleveland Ohio on December 27, 2009 and was filmed for a live DVD titled Coming Alive, which was released in 2010.
In late 2010, bassist Jim LaMarca retired from the band. Chimaira released the following statement regarding his departure "After a decade of good times and achievements, our friend and band mate Jim LaMarca [bass] has decided to retire from CHIMAIRA. We wish him nothing but the best as he settles in and starts a family. As for seeking a replacement… we'll cross that bridge down the line. In the meantime, consider it 'business as usual' with the CHIMAIRA you know and love." The band tapped Werstler once again, this time to replace LaMarca as a member of the band on bass.
By mid 2011, more lineup changes would occur. On April 5th, keyboard player Chris Spicuzza announced his departure from the band, citing a "negative environment and the general state of the music industry." A week later, drummer Andols Herrick also announced his departure. He stated he was asked to leave due to "differences." He also stated the band members had parted on good terms. Later in the year, it was announced that the annual Christmas show would be the last for guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries. Werstler was slid over to guitar duties and Jeremy Creamer, also of Daath, was brought in to replace him on bass. Matt Szlachta of Dirge Within was chosen to fill the other vacant guitar spot. Austin D'amond of Bleed the Sky and Sean Zatorsky of Daath have taken over drums and keyboard duties respectively.
America: Ferret
Europe: Nuclear Blast
Pure Hatred
Chimaira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never listened or came to my aid
The vicious cycle has not changed
My times spent rearranged
Mother fuck it all
I can't stand this
Remember then I said
Well nothing has changed
I hate everyone
The vicious cycle still remains
Constant cluster fuck, bloodstains
Ignorance, you kill for God
Expression not allowed
You fucked it up
With your motherfucking games
Remember when I said
I was so ashamed
Well nothing has changed
You have to
Pick and choose your fights
You have to
Come out of this alive
I have told you things need to change
You never listened, never came to my aid
The vicious cycle still not changed
My judgment fades away
You'll never change me
Remember we are through
I am staying here
To betray all of you
And nothing will change
The lyrics to Chimaira's "Pure Hatred" depict a state of frustration, resentment, and hopelessness towards the people surrounding the singer. The song begins with the singer expressing his dissatisfaction with an ongoing cycle that has yet to change despite his attempts to communicate his concerns. He shows his disdain towards society and the people he interacts with by using strong language to emphasize his point. The singer mentions that he hates everyone and how the vicious cycle is still present, with ignorance and violence thriving. The obsession with religion and fanaticism leads to death, and there is no space for any expression of oneself.
The second verse emphasizes how the singer feels betrayed by the people he once trusted. The actions that led to his disapproval get branded as games, and the people responsible for them refuse to acknowledge the wreckage they leave behind. The singer reflects on his initial reaction of feeling ashamed of their behavior, but as time passes, his patience dwindles, and there is no more room for inaction. The bridge mentions the need to adapt and survive amidst the chaos, and the chorus repeats to emphasize the singer's feelings towards everyone around him. The song ends with the singer's decision to stay within this hateful environment and continue to oppose and criticize it.
Line by Line Meaning
I have told you things need to change
I have voiced my concerns about the need for change
You never listened or came to my aid
You never cared enough to listen or help
The vicious cycle has not changed
The harmful cycle of events has not been altered
My times spent rearranged
My time has been spent differently
Mother fuck it all
I am extremely angry and frustrated
I can't stand this
I am unable to tolerate this situation any longer
Remember then I said
You should recall that I had mentioned
Everyone makes me sick
People in general are repulsive to me
Well nothing has changed
The situation has not improved whatsoever
I hate everyone
I have a strong feeling of animosity towards everyone
The vicious cycle still remains
The negative sequence of events continues to persist
Constant cluster fuck, bloodstains
A continuous disaster, resulting in bloodshed
Ignorance, you kill for God
Blind beliefs lead to violent acts in the name of religion
Expression not allowed
Freedom of expression is not permitted
You fucked it up
You have ruined everything
With your motherfucking games
With your deceitful and manipulative actions
Remember when I said
Recall the time I mentioned
I was so ashamed
I felt extremely embarrassed and humiliated
You have to
You need to
Pick and choose your fights
Be selective about which battles you engage in
Come out of this alive
Survive this ordeal
My judgment fades away
I am losing my ability to make sound decisions
You'll never change me
My attitude and beliefs will not be influenced by you
Remember we are through
Remember that our relationship has come to an end
I am staying here
I will remain in this current position or situation
To betray all of you
To act against the trust and expectations of those around me
And nothing will change
The situation will remain stagnant and unchanging
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY HERRICK, CHRIS SPICUZZA, JIM LAMARCA, MARK HUNTER, MATT DEVRIES, ROBERT ARNOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tkdpower
16 years later I still love this song till this day since 2003.
@TiensvanZyl
aint that the fucking truth \m/
@muttbull
Tiens van Zyl
what does \m/ mean?
@crystallizard7230
@@muttbull \m/ = 🤘
@JonnyCrackers
They were ahead of their time. Their music has aged like wine.
@joenunez2880
So do I....and I'm 38 now...i was a young strapping lad when i first heard them. So much rage and angst in their music I love it.
@thomasm3100
This band is so underrated
@fatshady5714
My personal opinion. PLEASE dont get angry at this, but I listened to this and Nothing Remains and just based on those two songs I find this band to be pretty basic. Do they have anything with more changes in it? Some different vocals? Better drum patterns? More intricate melodies? Maybe some breakdowns? I can hear some potential for greatness and definate talent here so I don't wanna write them off as being average screamo metal core shit yet. Help a brother out and recommend some better shit if they've made it please.
@MrSteve8546
@@fatshady5714 You should listen to the entire album, its called the impossibility of reason, its a great album and so is the album nothing remains is on, its a real shame they're not making music these days
@fatshady5714
@@MrSteve8546 I will definitely do that! Thank you very much for the suggestion! And since you've suggested something to me I gotta toss in Trivium's last three albums. I've become a HUGE Trivium fan because of those albums. They're ALL masterpieces! They're called The Sin And The Sentence, What The Dead Men Say and In The Court Of The Dragon.